New A-b-e Chief To Review Planning For Construction

Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton Airport officials say George Doughty's experience with airport construction projects isn't the only reason they hired him as executive director.

Nevertheless, Doughty's knowledge of airport expansion will be put to use almost immediately when he takes over as A-B-E's boss next month. He replaces the retired Jack Yohe.

At a news conference yesterday Doughty said one of his first jobs will be to learn more about the expansion airport officials are planning and to set up a program for financing it.

Doughty said the airport needs to expand to handle growth, but expansion must not disrupt the quality of life in the Lehigh Valley. He said he wants to review the preliminary plans for expansion to find the best and most cost effective way of developing the airport.

The 47-year-old Doughty managed Denver's $275 million expansion and renovation of Stapleton International Airport, and the construction of a $2.7 billion new Denver International Airport scheduled to open next year.

A-B-E's planned expansion is far less ambitious, but still a significant project for an airport its size. The project could cost up to $84 million depending on how much of the work the airport authority decides to undertake.

Preliminary plans call for extending the main runway to 10,000 feet and building a parallel 6,000-foot runway, expanding the passenger terminal and building additional parking spaces or a parking deck.

Doughty said he will aggressively market A-B-E as an alternative to airports in New York and Philadelphia.

"We should beat New York and Philadelphia airports in service because the service at those airports is terrible," Doughty said.

As airports in those two cities continue to buckle under overcrowding, smaller airports like A-B-E are becoming increasingly important to easing air traffic congestion in the Northeast, Doughty said.

Over the years many communities have failed to develop their airports and travelers commute to larger cities to catch a plane, he said.

Recently, airlines have started non-stop service from A-B-E to some of the country's biggest cities. Doughty said he'd like to see non-stop service from Allentown to Denver, which would open up new destination points on the West Coast.

Doughty said he still must learn his way around, but plans no significant change in the way the airport is run.

"This airport has a reputation in the industry of being well managed and well governed," Doughty said.